Princesse Eristoff
Also known as: Princesse Eristoff, Eristoff
Overview
Princess Nathalie (Natalia) Pavlovna Eristoff, née Bashkirtseff, the "bossue" (hunchback): the sister of Marie's father Constantin, i.e. Marie's paternal aunt, and the widow of Prince Emile Eristoff. Per the Mon Journal t.9 index: «Eristoff (Nathalie princesse), épouse, née Pavlona Bashkirtseff [La Bossue] tante de Marie Bashkirtseff», widow of «Eristoff (prince Emile) (époux de Nathalie Pavlona Bashkirtseff)».
Marie's own account (065/1876-08-20, 065.0064): the prince, «un bouffon et une brute, mais riche», married «Nathalie, la seconde sœur, bossue, laide mais bonne, de mon père» and «mourut au bout de six mois laissant à sa princesse deux fils et une fille de son premier mariage». The sons Michel (nicknamed Michka in the t.9 index) and Constantin Eristoff (see MICHEL, CONSTANTIN_ERISTOFF) are therefore her stepsons (Marie calls her «sa belle-mère» in Michel's lawsuit, 067.0217), not her children; the note formerly stating "the sons" without qualification is replaced by this statement.
She lived at Gavronzi with her sister Hélène Gorpintchenko («les deux sœurs», 067.0214) and, when Marie visits Russia in 1876, is part of her father's circle; she leaves abroad with Hélène on 22-23 October 1876 (067.0210, 067.0218). Marie sets her against Mme Tutcheff, another aunt (see SOPHIE).
KEEP APART from PRINCESS_ERISTOFF (the Princess Eristoff of Spa, July 1874, carnets 020-022).
References in Diary
- 065-067 (Russian journey, Aug.-Dec. 1876): 067.0011 («sa sœur Nathalie»), 067.0140 («la bossue»), 067.0210, 067.0214, 067.0217, 067.0218.
- 068/1877-01-15 (La princesse Eristoff «m'écrit que mon père est parti»), 068/1877-02-12 (Marie invents a visit by her aunt to «la princesse Eristoff», who «a longtemps vécu en Italie»).
- 083/1878-11-05 («une lettre de la princesse Eristoff … amie de la princesse Troubetzkoy»); 084/1879-02-01 («La princesse Eristoff et sa sœur Gorpintchenko sont là» at Naples).
- Beware: 077/1878-01-02 («la petite princesse Eristoff, sœur des deux misérables») is a different, young Princess Eristoff (Michel's sister, Paul's "idyll"); 078/1878-03-07 («le nom de la princesse Eristoff» given to Le Gaulois for a ball) is not identified (possibly the aunt, possibly Paul's young friend).
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